The Participants in Philip Zimbardo's Simulated Prison Study

question 233

Multiple Choice

The participants in Philip Zimbardo's simulated prison study

• A) were assigned the roles of prisoner or guard on the basis of their personality test scores.
• B) found it very difficult to play the role of prison guard.
• C) were so endangered by their role-playing experience that the study was discontinued.
• D) became a cohesive unit when they pursued superordinate goals.

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Definitions:

Aggressive

Aggressive behavior is characterized by hostility, assertiveness with the intention to dominate, or the readiness to cause harm or confront others.

Observational Learning

is the process of acquiring new behaviors by watching and imitating the actions of others, as described by Albert Bandura.

Prosocial Behavior

Refers to voluntary actions intended to help or benefit another individual or group of individuals, such as sharing, comforting, or rescuing.

Operant Conditioning

A learning process in which the strength of a behavior is modified by reinforcement or punishment, integral to behaviorist psychology.